Haunted
by albino-ottsel
Summary: A botched artifact run in the Wasteland ends with Daxter sharing a cage with Veger in the Marauders' fortress. Will they escape, or will they finish each other off before the Marauders do?
1. Chapter 1

**Kat:**** (gasp) **_**Me**_**, writing a Jak and Daxter fanfic that **_**isn't **_**Next Generation****? After all this time? Shocking, isn't it? But anyway, let's get this story rolling!**

"Why do _we_ have to do this?" Daxter whined. He and Jak had been called over to Spargus to find a few artifacts. But they weren't going it alone. Sig had ordered Veger and Kleiver to help them out. Apparently, Marauders had been getting more violent and more desperate for Precursor artifacts lately. They weren't sure why, but Sig wasn't going to risk sending anyone into the desert alone. "There are plenty of other people in Spargus!"

"Aw, come on, Dax. It's like old times again!" Jak said.

"I don't recall riding on the hood of the car in 'old times'," Daxter replied bitterly. In order to make sure they got to the artifacts before the Marauders, Daxter and Veger had to jump from the car and latch onto the artifacts. In theory, it would make them easier to pick up.

Suddenly Daxter spotted an artifact half-buried in the sand ahead of them. "There's one!" he yelled before jumping. He hit the ground rolling, quickly got to his feet, and hurried over to the ancient relic. As he worked to dig it out of the sand, he heard a vehicle approaching from behind. Just as he got it free, he felt a hand grab him and lift him up into the car.

"Kleiver just saw Marauders coming," Jak told his furry friend. "We're going to be making a little detour."

Jak floored it and the Sand Shark tore through the desert. Suddenly the car was caught in a hail of bullets. The Marauders were here. And it wasn't just one or two; it looked like a whole fleet of them had been sent out! Apparently, they really wanted those artifacts.

Daxter glanced over to the side. Kleiver wasn't faring much better. And as if the Marauders were bad enough, the storm seemed to be getting worse. Suddenly the cars hit a bump and both ottsels were sent flying. They hit the ground hard, rolling down the dune.

"Dax!" Jak yelled.

Daxter groaned as he got to his feet. He stumbled back and forth a bit as he rubbed the back of his head. He looked over at Veger, who also seemed to be discombobulated. All of a sudden they were surrounded by Marauder vehicles. One of the Marauders got out and approached the ottsels. Daxter backed up, inadvertently walking into Veger.

"Watch it!" he hissed. Suddenly the Marauder grabbed the ottsels around the neck and lifted them up. Veger clawed at the Marauder's hand, franticly trying to loosen the grip on his throat. Daxter looked around desperately, trying to find his friend. He saw Jak in the distance, driving full speed towards them

_Hurry, Jak…_ Daxter thought as the lack of oxygen started making him dizzy.

The Marauder dropped them into a cage in the passenger seat of his car. Both ottsels coughed and gasped, desperate for air. Before they could recover, the Marauders hit the gas and headed back to their hideout. Their captor grabbed the cage handle and held it up, showing Jak that his best friend was their prisoner.

"Wh-where's Kleiver…?" Veger asked weakly. Daxter stood and looked in Spargus' direction. He could see Jak in hot pursuit, but Kleiver was nowhere to be seen.

"He's not out there," Daxter replied.

"Bastard…" Veger growled. He got to his feet, using the bars of the cage as support, and saw for himself; Jak was coming to Daxter's rescue, and it was only by his mercy that Veger would be saved too. "Son of a…" Veger sat down as the Marauder dropped the cage back into the passenger seat.

Jak never took his eyes off the Marauders. Soon, however, the sand obscured most of his vision, and he made the toughest decision of his life: he was going to return to Spargus. Hopefully, by the time the storm ended, he would be able to rescue Daxter from the Marauder stronghold.

"I'll be back, Dax," he whispered. "I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

Veger watched his cellmate pace back and forth, occasionally shaking the bars of their prison. The cage was suspended from the ceiling in one of the Marauders' shacks by a rope. The wind was still howling outside, and the window shutters rattled loudly.

Daxter gave a frustrated grunt and gave the cage door a kick for good measure before sitting down and glaring at Veger. "Of all the people I could have gotten locked up with, it had to be _you_," he groaned. "I'd rather be in here with _Pecker_!"

"I'm not exactly happy about the situation either, but for now, we're stuck, so there's no need to start a fight just because you don't like me," Veger replied.

"Hypocrite," Daxter grumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"You didn't have a problem with throwing Jak out of the city just because you didn't like him," Daxter said.

"That's hardly the same thing," Veger replied.

"You're right; it's worse!" Daxter got to his feet. "He saved the city, saved _you_, and you thank him by leaving him out here to die?!"

"Jak was dangerous, a loose cannon," Veger replied. "He was a time bomb waiting to go off. I wanted to protect what was left of Haven's people."

"Is that why you destroyed the palace, along with half of the city?" Daxter snapped.

"That half of the city was controlled mostly by the Metal Heads. Besides, it's better to sacrifice a few to save the majority." Veger's neutral expression hardened. "I suppose Jak slaughtering most of the Krimzon Guard was a nobler act?"

"Well… they were the bad guys!"

"Try explaining that to their friends and family," Veger said. "The Krimzon Guards were doing what they had to. Some believed what they were doing was right, but many didn't. Why do you think Torn defected to the Underground? He had no choice. No one could just 'quit' being in the Krimzon Guard," Veger explained. "Once you signed up, it was a lifetime commitment. If you tried to quit, you were arrested, convicted of treason, and executed." Veger made a slashing motion across his throat to emphasis his point.

Daxter subconsciously rubbed his neck. "I… guess it never occurred to us."

"Of course it didn't. Why would it? When you're fighting a war, you don't think about the people on the other side. They're enemies; less than human, right?"

Daxter remained silent for a moment, then took the offense again. "Hey, wait a minute! _You're_ trying to send _me_ on a guilt trip?! _You're_ the one who took Jak away from his dad so you could use him as a guinea pig!"

Veger opened his mouth to protest, but silenced himself. He scoffed and turned his back on Daxter. "I don't need to explain myself to _you_."

"You're only saying that because you _can't_! You _can't_ justify kidnapping a child for the sole purpose of… of _torturing_ him! You're in no position to preach about morality, pal! You've done nothing more than hurt others for your own selfish reasons! You don't want what's best for everyone, you only want power, and you step on anyone who gets in your way! You don't care about anyone other than yourself! You never have and you never will!"

The words seemed to echo in the silence that followed. Veger drew his knees up to his chest, but said nothing. Daxter waited, almost wishing that Veger would argue back. But the older ottsel just sat there silently. Satisfied, albeit a little disappointed, by the easy victory, Daxter sat back down and stared at the wall. The storm outside had calmed down, and what little moonlight that managed to make it through the shutters illuminated the room with a pale white glow.

Daxter yawned loudly and, after casting a wary glance over his shoulder, lied down. He yawned again as his eyes slid closed and he fell asleep.

* * *

As the sun peeked through the windows, Daxter was slowly roused from his slumber. The ottsel yawned and stretched, trying to get the kinks out. He looked over at his cellmate, who was still sleeping. Suddenly something caught Daxter's eye. The sun was glinting off of a small trinket in Veger's hand.

Daxter got up and quietly walked over to the older ottsel. He thought Veger's face looked wet for a minute, then disregarded it and focused on the golden trinket. Curious, Daxter carefully opened his cellmate's hand and pulled the necklace free. It was a locket. He fiddled with it, trying to get it to open. It was stuck and absolutely refused to yield. Daxter slipped over to his side of the cage and started to tap it lightly on the floor of the cage, hoping the impact would open it.

"_What are you doing?!_" Suddenly Daxter was tackled from behind. "Hand it over you worm!" The two ottsels rolled around their suddenly-claustrophobic cage, wrestling over it. The two of slammed into the wall and it slipped from Daxter's grasp. It fell to the cold, hard floor of the shack and burst open.

"Now look what you've done!" Veger shoved Daxter away and looked down at his locket. It looked like it had broken right in half. He hurried over to the cage door and tried frantically to pick the lock. Daxter looked down at the trinket. The picture inside was of a family of three. A husband, a wife, and their son, no more than three years old. _His parents…_ Daxter thought. However, as he looked closer, he realized that Veger wasn't the _child_… he was the _father_!


	3. Chapter 3

**Kat: Am I really that predictable? :(**

"I didn't know you were _married_!" Daxter exclaimed.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Veger snarled bitterly.

"What happened? She figure out you were a nutcase and dump you?" Daxter remarked. "Hope she brought the kid with her."

Daxter looked over at Veger, expecting him to look pissed. Instead, his ears were drooping and he'd stopped trying to break the cage's lock. He was hunched over, staring at the ground. Daxter thought he saw a dark spot appear on the floor. When Veger finally spoke, his voice was quiet and sorrowful. "She did… when she went to the next world…"

"Oh… Oh! Er, um, I, I didn't… I mean…" Daxter shuffled his feet awkwardly, his hands stuffed in his pockets, wishing he'd kept his big mouth shut for once. Enemy or not, what he'd said was _way_ out of line. He sighed softly. "I'm sorry."

Veger wiped his eyes before looking at his cellmate. He turned around and sat down. His eyes focused on the floor of the cage again. "I just wish I could've protected them…"

_Rain battered Haven City. The more affluent members of the community were lucky; the roofs over their heads didn't leak. Veger, barely thirty years old, was one of them. Instead of spending his time finding containers for the water dripping into his home, like those who lived in the nearby slums, he was enjoying a movie with his family._

_The count looked at the woman setting next to him on the sofa. She was cradling their half-asleep son in her arms. His third birthday was next week, and boy, was he excited! They were going to have all his favorite foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what he was really looking forward to was the dessert: devil's food cake!_

_Veger slipped his arm around his wife and kissed her cheek. "It's late; let's tuck Dalsten in and go to bed ourselves."_

"_Yeah, I'm sure you're __real__ tired," his wife replied, rolling her eyes. However, she must have had the same idea, because she removed a hand from their son, grabbed the television remote, and turned it off._

"_Ah wuh wachin dat…" their little boy mumbled sleepily into his mother's blouse._

"_We'll finish it tomorrow, sweetie," she said. "Right now you can barely stay awake."_

"_Mmkay…"_

_The couple stood up and started down the corridor towards their bedroom. Suddenly Veger stopped and looked out a nearby window._

"_What's wrong?" his wife asked._

"_I thought I heard something…" Veger walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back. Just then, a Metal Head slammed into the window. Veger yelled in surprise and stumbled back. "Let's go!" He grabbed his wife's hand and they hurried down the rest of the hall. The Metal Head burst through the window and began to chase them through their house._

_They ran up the stairs, the creature hot on their heels. Veger let go of his wife's hand and pulled out his pistol. He turned and fired a few rounds into the Metal Head. It faltered a little bit, giving them just enough time to make it to the sanctuary of their bedroom. Veger locked the door as his wife set their son on the bed, and the two then pushed the dresser in front of the door._

"_That won't hold it for very long," Veger stated._

"_Mama? Daddy?" Dalsten, now very awake, said fearfully from the bed. "Whus goin' on?"_

"_N-Now, stay calm, sweetie," his mother said as she tried to hide her own terror, "w-we've just got an unwelcome visitor, that's all."_

"_The phone's dead!" Veger cursed to himself as he slammed the receiver down. "I can't get in contact with Damas!"_

"_There are Metal Heads in the city; I'm sure the Guards are on their way," his wife said._

"_Metal Heads?" Dalsten squeaked._

_The growling on the other side of the door grew louder as more Metal Heads joined their comrade. The door began to crack under the pressure. Veger's wife scooped up their son and they escaped onto their second-story bedroom balcony._

_It seemed the Metal Heads had broken through the city wall on the opposite side of the district, because much of this section of the city was already in ruins. Guards and Metal Heads fought in the streets as civilians ran through the battlefield in terror. Veger helped his wife climb over the balcony's railing and start her climb down the ivy-covered lattice, little Dalsten clutching his mother's shirt with all his strength. Soon the Metal Heads broke into the bedroom and ran for the door leading to the balcony. Veger vaulted himself over the railing and landed on the ground with a thud._

_His wife hurried to his side. "Are you alright?"_

"_Y-yeah, I'm fine. Let's go!" Veger grabbed his wife's hand and they hurried through the streets. He didn't know where to go, but all he knew was that they had to get away from the fighting, to escape the district and get to safety!_

_Suddenly an ungodly pain unlike any Veger had experienced before concentrated itself on his back, before his entire body went numb and he hit the ground. The world, now sideways, faded to black, and the last sounds he heard were his wife screaming in pain, his son crying out in terror, and the growling of the Metal Heads…_

"…It's all a blur after that," Veger said, finishing his narration. "I think you can guess what happened, though…"

Daxter looked down at the locket again. That must have been what happened "before" at Dead Town. Daxter recalled what Torn had told him a couple years prior. "The Baron pulled back, leaving everyone outside the 'new barrier' to die…" Did Veger even realize that Praxis had betrayed him?


	4. Chapter 4

"When I came to, I was in the hospital," Veger continued his story, "and two of my friends were by my side… Praxis and Damas."

"Say _what_?!" Daxter yelled, shocked.

"They were my best friends, but…" Veger looked up at his cellmate. "I can _never_ forgive that bastard Damas for betraying me. He had the Guards retreat just when we needed them most."

"Wait, wait, wait, _Damas_?"

"Praxis didn't usurp the throne until about three years ago," Veger explained. "This all happened over a decade ago. Damas was still in power."

"That's what you think," Daxter scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Veger asked.

Daxter looked at the older ottsel. "I mean, Praxis must have been running the show from behind the scenes. Torn used to be a commander in the Krimzon Guard, and he told me and Jak about what happened there… He said that Praxis ordered them to pull back."

"Wh-what?" A look of absolute horror crossed his face. He looked down. "Oh, God… I made a terrible mistake… how could I have been so _blind_?" He placed his face in his hands. "I should have known better than to believe Praxis… I'm such an idiot! I can't believe I screwed up so badly…"

"What did you do?" Daxter asked, as if he didn't know.

"I've told you enough!" Veger snapped. "Besides, you know exactly what I did…"

"You betrayed your best friend," Daxter said flatly.

Veger flinched. "Shut up."

Suddenly the door to the shack swung open. A Marauder walked in, carrying a bucket. He tipped the contents into the cage, splattering the ottsels with the gray, lumpy glop.

"What the hell is _that_?" Veger asked.

"I think we're supposed to eat it," Daxter replied, nudging a lump with his foot.

The Marauder started to leave when he noticed something on the ground. Veger's locket. The Marauder bent down and picked the broken trinket up. As he looked the pieces of the gold necklace over, Veger watched helplessly from his cage.

Finally, the Marauder decided it was a nice decoration and shoved it into his pocket before leaving. Veger sighed forlornly. "That locket belonged to my wife… I'd give anything to get it back…"

Daxter gazed sympathetically at Veger. As much as he wanted to hate him, as much as he wanted to revel in his pain… he couldn't help but feel sorry for Veger. He'd lost so much. His home had been destroyed, his wife and son were brutally killed, his best friend betrayed him and blamed it on his _other_ best friend, he was rooming with _Kleiver_… It was amazing he hadn't offed himself in despair or gone _completely_ mad.

The young ottsel looked out the window. He smiled a bit. "Y'know… Jak's probably on his way here to rescue us right now."

"He's on his way here to rescue _you_," Veger spat. "He'll only laugh in my face before leaving me here to die."

"Jak wouldn't do that…" Daxter said. Veger looked at him with a raised brow. "Really! He's… He's a good guy, and uh…"

"And he hates my guts," Veger finished.

"Well… We could always break ourselves out," Daxter suggested.

Veger scoffed. "Right. And how do you propose to do that?"

Daxter thought for a few moments, looking around his cage. Suddenly he noticed a gap between two bars that looked larger than the others. Daxter walked over to it. "It looks like there's a bar missing here. We might be able to slip through."

"It would still be a tight squeeze. We'd need something to grease it up, something to make it more slippery."

Daxter picked up a handful of the gruel and looked at Veger, holding the slime out at arm's length. Veger, knowing exactly what he was thinking, wrinkled his nose in disgust, but sighed and scooped up some of the muck himself. If it would get them out…


	5. Chapter 5

Daxter, gray slop dripping from his fur, got to his feet and started to wipe himself off. Suddenly he was lying face-down on the floor, a great weight pinning him down. Veger had dropped from the cage and landed on him.

"Ow! You bastard!" Daxter yelled. "Get your fat ass offa me!"

"Well, perhaps you should have gotten out of the way," Veger retorted. He stood up and looked down at his now-stained shirt. "Ugh, disgusting."

"Hey, we're out, okay, so stop complaining," Daxter said. He got up and walked over to the door. He reached up and grabbed the handle. He opened the door a crack, peeked out, and almost immediately slammed the door shut. "Someone's coming! Hide!"

Thankfully, the shack they were imprisoned in was used for storage, so there were many nooks and crannies to hide in. Veger ducked behind a wooden crate and Daxter crawled into a barrel. A Marauder entered, carrying a bucket, this one filled with water. When he saw that the ottsels had escaped, he dropped the bucket and rushed out, probably to raise an alarm.

"Why do they want us here so badly?" Veger wondered aloud.

"No time to figure it out," Daxter said, popping out of the barrel, a fish on his head. "Let's go!" He dropped onto the ground, tossed the fish away, and joined Veger by the door.

The two ottsels peeked cautiously outside. No one in the immediate vicinity. They slipped out and walked down the dirt path quietly. The Marauder stronghold was made up of a bunch of mud and stone shacks built close together. Veger and Daxter reached the end of the road and made it to a T intersection. They peeked around the corner. No one. However, around the _other_ corner…

A bullet struck the side of the building, barely missing Daxter's head. The two ottsels looked in the direction the shot came from. The Marauders were there _en masse_, and they didn't look happy.

"Run!" Daxter and Veger took off down the road and the Marauders unloaded their guns. Thankfully, they had terrible aim. The ottsels ducked down a narrow alley and pressed their backs against the wall, huffing and puffing. The Marauders ran past them, having failed to notice their evasive maneuvers. Veger poked his head out, searching intently for anyone.

A shot rang out, and suddenly the ottsels were on the run again. They reached the end of the alley and climbed up the rough stone wall. Daxter looked around the compound. The straw roofs of the huts all looked the same, but beyond the wall that enclosed the stronghold was the unforgiving desert. If Jak didn't show up soon…

"Move!" Veger grabbed Daxter's arm and pulled him out of the way just as another shower of bullets was unleashed. They ran across the roofs, safe from the Marauders… at least, until they fell through the roof on one of the shacks. They landed in a heap in the center of the hut… awakening the snoozing Marauder inside.

The feral man grabbed his gun and began to fire indiscriminately. Veger ducked underneath the man's bed as Daxter leapt onto the lamp hanging from the ceiling. The Marauder paused to reload, allowing Daxter the chance to jump to the open window. Veger followed the younger ottsel and they started to run down the street.

Daxter sighed in relief as the gates came into view. "We made it! We're home fr--"

"Aagh!"

Daxter skidded to a halt and spun around. Veger was lying behind him, leaning on his elbow and clutching his chest. Red liquid oozed from between his fingers. The older ottsel looked at him, weakness and desperation in his eyes. Suddenly he collapsed as he lost consciousness. Daxter could see a dark red hole in his back.

Behind Veger, the Marauder was reloading his gun and advancing towards them. Daxter looked back and forth between Veger and the gate. His mind and his heart were racing, panic surging through him. He had a choice; risk his life and try to save Veger, who was mortally wounded, or escape and let him die, which would probably happen anyway.

The click of the gun signaled to Daxter that his time was up. He had to make a choice _now_.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm such an _idiot_," Daxter grumbled to himself. He ran down the road, away from the gate, away from freedom, and towards near-certain death. The Marauder fired his shotgun. Daxter ducked and the bullet barely nicked his ear. He knelt by Veger's side and pulled his arm around his neck. Daxter stood, taking Veger's helpless body with him.

The Marauder swung at Daxter with his gun, sending them sprawling down the dirt path. He cocked his gun and aimed at Daxter again. The ottsel was struggling to get his feet, his cumbersome load weighing him down. Daxter barely managed to dodge the bullet headed his way. Daxter hurried to the gate and looked up at it. How was he supposed to open this thing?

The Marauder stood menacingly before them. Daxter, his back against the wall, swallowed hard and subconsciously tightened his hold on his wounded cargo. The Marauder aimed at the ottsel. One shot, right between the eyes, that would do it. He started to squeeze the trigger.

Suddenly a great shadow fell over them. They looked up and found themselves staring at the bottom of a vehicle. It was the Dune Hopper! The buggy bounced a bit on impact with the ground. The Marauder, recognizing the vehicle as that of a Wastelander's, fired his shotgun into the back of the car. The driver retaliated by driving in reverse and running him over.

"Jak?" Daxter ventured. The driver looked over his shoulder at the ottsel. It _was_ Jak! "Oh, thank God!" Daxter hurried over to the passenger's side and started to climb in.

"What are you doing with _him_?" Jak asked bitterly, glaring at Veger.

"He's hurt; he might not make it. We've gotta get him some medical help pronto," Daxter explained. He carefully set Veger down on the car seat. Veger's chest, which had a hole in it (courtesy of the Marauder), rose and fell shallowly. The bullet had missed his heart, but tore through his left lung.

"No, I mean, why are you bringing him along?" Jak asked. "He left us to die out here, remember? I was hoping to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"And sink to his level?" Daxter countered. If that didn't convince Jak to help Veger, nothing would. "We're the good guys, Jak. Saving people is what we do."

Jak looked down at Veger, his nose wrinkled. Daxter had a point, although he never used the whole "doing the right thing" excuse before. Reluctantly, Jak launched the Dune Hopper into the air and pulled a 180 before landing. He fired the grenade launcher, blowing the gate to bits. He floored it and the Dune Hopper screamed onto the desert.

As they tore through the Wasteland, Daxter glanced nervously behind them. No Marauders in sight. Soon they arrived at Spargus. The city gates creaked open and Jak parked the Dune Hopper in its spot. Daxter again pulled Veger's arm around his shoulders and lifted him up. A dark red stain was now on the seat. Kleiver would be thrilled.

Daxter jumped down and followed Jak through the city streets. The closest thing Spargus had to a hospital was an infirmary run by the monks. Hopefully they'd have the green eco Veger needed. If they didn't…

Jak opened the heavy wooden door and stood aside, allowing Daxter to carry Veger in. Daxter looked around the lobby, looking for a familiar face. He spotted her by the window. "Hey! Seem!"

The young monk turned around. "Greetings Daxter, what…" Her eyes caught sight of Veger's wound and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my…!" She hurried across the room to Daxter's side and gently took Veger from him. She placed two fingers on his neck, searching for a pulse. The rhythmic beating was faint, but it was present.

"Come with me. Quickly!" Seem said to the visitors as she hurried down the corridor. Jak and Daxter looked at each other before obeying. When they finally arrived at the right room, Veger was already on the bed and Seem was fighting with her monks.

"We don't have enough!" one of them argued. "We can't waste it on _him_!"

"But he is a Precursor!" Seem countered.

"Then he should be able to heal himself," another retorted. "Our green eco stores are low; we need them for the warriors. We can't spare even a single drop."

Jak snorted. "Oh, well. Looks like he's gonna bite the big one anyway, Dax." Jak looked down at his friend and was surprised to see a look of anxiety on his face. Why would he be worried about Veger's imminent death?

Suddenly the little ottsel was hit with inspiration. "Jak!" He looked up at his friend. "You've got Light Eco, right?"

"A little…" Jak said, suspicious of where this was going.

"And you can heal yourself, right?"

"I'm _not_ going to heal _Veger_. And I don't even know if I _can_!" Jak said sternly.

"You've got to. Otherwise, he'll die," Daxter replied.

"Why should I care?"

"Because he saved my life!"

"…What?"


	7. Chapter 7

"What do you mean he saved your life?" Jak asked, shock and confusion evident on his face.

"If it wasn't for him, I'd be chock full of holes right now," Daxter said. The ottsel recalled the simple act: During their escape, Veger had pulled him backwards and the bullets that were meant for him tore through the straw roof of the hut they were standing on. They had immediately started running again, so he didn't have time to dwell on it, but now…

At the time, it seemed like Veger had merely wanted to get Daxter out of the Marauders' line of sight for fear that he'd give away their position. Whether that was the real reason or not, whether Veger realized it or not, Daxter owed him his life.

"So, are you still going to let him die?" Daxter asked.

Jak thought for a moment. "One good deed doesn't excuse everything he did… _But_," Jak said, cutting off Daxter's protest, "it does give him the right to live. I'll do it."

As he approached the bed, his hands turned a vibrant blue, with a white glow around them. Seem, who had just finished removing Veger's shirt, held him out. Jak placed his hands over Veger's body and released the eco. Inside the ottsel, the lung repaired itself and the crack in his rib vanished. Suddenly the glow faded and Jak's hands returned to normal.

"That was all I eco I had," Jak said. "I think he'll be able to pull through, though." The hero started towards the door as Seem started to bandage up what remained of Veger's wound.

"You're not going to stick around to rub this in his face when he wakes up?" Daxter asked.

"No. I'm going to talk to Sig and see if we can find out why the Marauders kidnapped you two."

"Well, while you do that, I think I'll wait for him to come around so I can mock him relentlessly," Daxter said, pushing a chair up beside the bed and climbing on top of it. Seem set Veger down on the bed and covered him with the thin cotton sheet. Almost immediately after Jak left, Veger stirred. His eyes opened slowly and he was barely able to recognize the orange blur staring down at him.

"D-Daxter…?" Veger asked wearily.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Daxter said.

"How… how did I…" Veger blinked a few times and his vision cleared enough for him to make out Daxter's facial features. He noticed his former cellmate seemed relieved to see him awake. "You… you saved me… didn't you?"

"Well, actually, Jak…" Daxter started.

"While it is true that Jak was the one who performed the healing," Seem cut in, "he never would have done so had you not convinced him. You may make of that what you will, but it seems, to me, that Veger owes his life to _you_."

Daxter scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. No, really. "Well, Veger saved _my_ life, so I'd say we're even."

"I saved…?" Veger suddenly recalled the moment he pulled Daxter away from the spray of bullets that the Marauders unleashed. He hadn't acted out of a desire to save a life; he had acted out of instinct. His subconscious had told him that he would need Daxter's help to escape. As it turned out, Daxter ended up saving his life. And his therapist had told him to ignore the voices in his head. Pah. "Huh. I suppose I did. But… why did you return the favor? After everything I've done… Most people would have left me for dead."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not like most people," Daxter grinned.

Despite himself, Veger cracked a small smile of his own.


	8. Chapter 8

"This don't bode well, cherry," Sig said. He and Jak were in the throne room of the palace. Jak had just relayed the recent events to Sig, who was none too happy about it. "If they're after artifacts _and_ ottsels, they might know the Precursors' secret."

"But how could they know?" Jak asked. "And what could they be planning?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Sig replied. "We're gonna have to find out."

"And by that, you mean _I_ have to find out."

"Pretty much."

"I'll go grab Dax and we'll head out," Jak said. He walked into the elevator and waited as it descended. As he waited for the elevator to touch down, he wondered what exactly happened in the Marauder stronghold. When he finally made it back to the hospital, he overheard Daxter and Veger talking.

"…think you should tell Jak," Daxter was saying.

"Why should I? It's not any of his business. Besides, would he even believe me?" Veger replied.

"Well, it might make him hate you less."

"I don't want his pity," Veger said. He sighed, exasperated. "I knew I never should have told you."

_Told him what?_ Jak wondered.

"Hey, if you want me to keep my mouth shut, I will. Precursor's honor."

Veger was silent for a moment. "… Thank you."

Realizing he wasn't going to get any more information by eavesdropping, Jak entered. He walked over to Daxter, who was still standing on a chair next to the bed. The ottsel grinned up at his friend. "I knew you couldn't resist rubbing it in." He climbed onto Jak's shoulder. "Go ahead."

Jak looked at Daxter, then glared down at Veger. Veger returned his glare, though it was more out of annoyance with the situation than out of actual anger. Jak stayed silent, wondering whether he should confront the two of them now, or ask Daxter about it later.

Speaking of whom, the ottsel was getting antsy in the silence. He flicked Jak's ear. "Hey, you gonna say anything or what?"

Jak looked at his little buddy. "We've got more important things to worry about. Sig thinks the Marauders might know the truth about the Precursors…"

Veger sat up abruptly in alarm, ignoring the sharp shooting pain in his chest. "What? How could they… Are you sure?"

"That's what we're going to find out. C'mon, Dax." Jak turned and started to leave the hospital room. Daxter glanced back at the older ottsel. _"You'd better not tell,"_ Veger's glare seemed to say.

As Jak and Daxter drove through the Wasteland, Jak was, surprisingly, the first to speak. "What did Veger tell you?"

"Huh?"

"I heard you and Veger talking before I came in. You said you thought he should tell me something." Jak looked at his friend. "Tell me what?"

Daxter looked away, watching the scenery fly by. Finally, he spoke, choosing his words carefully (for once). "It's… It's something really personal that he… shared with me while we were imprisoned. I can't tell what happened to him but…" Daxter paused, deciding what parts he should share. "…what I can tell you is this: Veger used to be best friends with Praxis--"

"What a surprise."

"--and Damas."

"Come again?"

"It happened while Damas was still ruling Haven. Praxis betrayed Veger, but framed Damas for it. I guess Veger did what he did because he wanted revenge." Daxter looked up at Jak. "Kind of like you did."

Jak remained silent, thinking about what he'd just heard. After a while, he asked. "What did Praxis do?"

"I gave my word that I wouldn't tell you. I'm not going to betray Veger's trust. I've already told you more than I think he'd want you to know. All I can say now is that it's really painful for him."

The hero pondered this new information. He knew Praxis was ruthless and had hurt a lot of people, but… he didn't know that manipulative bastard had been able to turn one of his father's closest friends against him. What if Veger had known the truth back then? What would be different? Would Praxis have been brought to justice? Would Damas still be in power? Would Jak have grown up with his father instead of being sent back in time?

"There it is," Daxter said. Inside those walls, the Marauders were scheming, planning something. Inside those walls, one of the Marauders was probably still mesmerized by his shiny new trinket. Daxter had a mini-mission to complete:

Retrieve Veger's locket.


	9. Chapter 9

Jak parked the dune buggy behind an outcropping of rocks and got out. Daxter climbed onto his shoulder while he loaded the Morph Gun. They slipped over to the Marauder hideout undetected and Jak hopped the fence.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Daxter asked.

"Anything that could tell us what the Marauders are up to," Jak replied.

"Maybe we should split up," Daxter suggested, "so we can cover more ground."

"I don't wanna have to rescue you again," Jak said, "so be careful. Meet back here in an hour."

"When am I ever not careful?" Daxter asked as he slipped off Jak's shoulder and vanished down an alleyway. Cautiously, he peeked inside one of the Marauder's shacks. The coast was clear. Daxter climbed through the window and proceeded to tear the house apart.

Once the hut was in complete disarray, Daxter decided that what he was looking for wasn't here and left. As he crawled onto a table on his way out of the house, one of the legs broke and Daxter tumbled to the ground. The ottsel freed himself from the wreckage, grumbling incoherently under his breath. Suddenly Daxter noticed something he hadn't before: a cylindrical item taped to the underside of the table. Daxter pulled it free and examined it. It was an old scroll. Daxter opened it and read its contents. He recognized the writing as ancient Precursor cuneiform, but he couldn't understand what it said.

Daxter, scroll in hand, slipped quietly out the door and moved on to the next house. Inside was a lone Marauder tinkering with something at his desk. Daxter was about to leave when he noticed that Jak was at the other window, waiting to break in. The Marauder accidentally dropped one of his tools and bent down to pick it up. That was the chance Jak had been waiting for. He jumped in and fired off a single round into the Marauder's head.

Jak picked up the trinket the Marauder was working on and looked at it quizzically as Daxter gasped. It was Veger's locket! The Marauder had apparently fixed the cover in place, because the hinge was still broken. But at least it was in one piece again, despite missing the chain.

"What kind of artifact is this?" Jak asked himself.

"It's… ow!" Daxter had not removed his eyes from the medallion, and as a result, he landed flat on his face when he tried to climb in. Daxter got up and climbed onto the desk. "That was Veger's…" Daxter stopped himself. He'd almost said that it was "Veger's wife's".

"This was Veger's?" Jak looked it over. "Seems kinda girly."

"Well, it belonged to… er, a relative, I think," Daxter said. "The Marauder stole it."

"Well, not my problem," Jak said as he tossed it over his shoulder. "Hey, whatcha got there?" He took the scroll and looked it over. Daxter climbed down from the desk and slipped the trinket into his pocket.

"We should get this to Seem. She can probably translate it," Jak said. "C'mon, let's keep looking for--"

Suddenly there was a banging sound from the door. The Marauders were trying to break into the hut. They must have heard the gunshot and figured out something was wrong.

"We'd better get outta here!" Daxter said.

Shards of woods went flying as the Marauders broke the door down. They rushed in, weapons drawn. They looked around. Except for their dead comrade, no one was here. One of the Marauders walked over to the window and looked around the alley. Right underneath his nose, Jak and Daxter were crouching in the shadows.

_Don't look down, don't look down, don't look…_ Daxter thought breathlessly.

After a moment, the Marauder disappeared. Jak immediately got to his feet and took off running. Suddenly a bullet whizzed by his head. Looks like the Marauders had seen them after all.

"Jak!" Daxter yelled in panic.

Jak turned around and fired his Scatter Gun, knocking most of the pursuing Marauders down. As they struggled to pick up the pace, Jak raced through the streets until he reached the fence. Jak hoisted himself over the walls and headed for the hidden Sand Shark. Behind him, the Marauders gave chase in their vehicles.

The hero got into his car and tore out of their hiding place. The Marauders behind them unleashed the fury of their vehicles' weapons. As the bullets pounded the Sand Shark, Jak turned sharply, sending sand everywhere. He hit the turbo, and the car zoomed out of the Marauders' range.

Daxter looked behind them. "Jak, I think we lost 'em!"

No sooner had the ottsel said that when Jak swerved suddenly to avoid colliding with a Marauder that had come out of nowhere. Now they were neck-and-neck. Jak glanced over at his opponent and his heart skipped a beat. The Marauder was holding a grenade!

Sig just happened to glance out the palace window at the exact moment an explosion appeared, with the desert as its backdrop.


	10. Chapter 10

"You better not be dead, cherry…" Sig murmured to himself. He'd commandeered Kleiver's Gila Stomper and was heading towards the plume of smoke. Even all the way up in the palace, Sig had recognized the Sand Shark amongst all the Marauder vehicles. When that explosion went off, he wasted no time. He'd left the palace, been in and out of Kleiver's hut, chosen a vehicle, hopped in and taken off all within six minutes.

And, unbeknownst to Sig, within _five_ minutes, Veger had heard about what happened, snuck out of the infirmary, hidden himself in the garage, and stowed away on Sig's buggy. Now, he was hiding behind the Stomper's gun, ignoring the reopened wound in his chest. Veger _had_ to be sure Daxter was alive. He was the only person who'd ever shown him any _real_ compassion since… since he'd lost his family.

As they came closer to the source of the smoke, they saw it: the charred, twisted metal of the vehicle. Fire consumed most of the vehicle. Sig got closer and leaped out of the vehicle.

"Jak! Daxter!"

Nothing. There was no sign of life. The flames ripped through the seats, the body… wait, _body_? As in, only one? Sig got as close to the inferno as he could before it hit him. This was a Marauder's vehicle! Sig hurried back to the Gila Stomper, relieved. Jak was still alive! Suddenly, the fire had reached the gas tank and the vehicle exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere. Sig ducked and most of it embedded itself in the car.

"Aah!"

Sig's head shot up. That sounded like… Veger! Sig climbed out of the Stomper and hurried to the back, where the yell had come from. The ottsel was on the ground, rubbing his head.

"What the hell are you _doing_ here?" Sig demanded.

"No, really, I'm fine, but thanks for your concern," Veger replied bitterly. He got to his feet and wiped the sand from his fur. A shard of hot metal hit the roof of the Gila Stomper, barely missing his foot. Of course, it had startled him. He'd jumped and, unable to regain his balance, tumbled to the ground.

"Answer the question, rat."

"I have my reasons," Veger said.

"Well, get in and shut up, unless you'd like to stay out here," Sig instructed. Veger hmph'd, but obeyed. As the engine came to life, Veger hefted a sigh of relief. So, Jak and Daxter had escaped death once again. He'd have to ask Daxter what happened; he'd surely be more than willing to tell the tale.

When Veger returned to his room at the monks' infirmary (after getting quite a scolding from Seem), he was surprised to see Daxter sitting by his bed, waiting for him. The ottsel grinned upon seeing him enter.

"What are you doing here?" Veger asked as he approached his bed.

"Waiting for you," Daxter replied.

After watching Veger try (and fail) to get onto the bed on his own, Daxter offered him a hand, which he took gratefully. The older ottsel sat down on the soft mattress and placed a hand over his wound. It was still very sore, but it seemed the bleeding had stopped again.

"Actually…" Daxter said as he reached into his pocket. "I'm making a special delivery." Veger gasped. In Daxter's hand was his locket. He took the trinket from Daxter and held it gently in his hands, hardly believing that it was there. "I don't know if you'll be able to open it. The hinge is still broken, and it looks like the Marauder glued the cover back on."

"I can't believe… you actually got this back for me…" Veger looked up at the younger ottsel with wet eyes. "I don't think I can ever repay you for this. Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Daxter said.

Veger placed the locket on the table next to his bed, on top of his neatly folded clothes. After staring at it for a moment, he looked at Daxter again and spoke. "I'm curious, though… How did you escape the Marauders?" Daxter gave him an inquiring look. "I heard about the explosion… We… Sig thought you guys had been killed."

Daxter grinned. "I'll tell ya, it's actually kind of funny. You see, one of the Marauders threw a grenade at us and it landed right in Jak's lap. He was freaking out about it, of course." Veger rolled his eyes here. "So anyway, I calmly explained to him that I'd handle it, and he just had to focus on driving. Once he did, I picked the grenade up, pulled out the pin, and threw it back."

The two ottsels laughed softly while Jak watched them from the doorway. He never thought he'd see Veger tear up… or laugh. And he certainly never thought Daxter would grow on him. _Maybe he's not the monster I thought he was after all…_

**Kat:**** That pulling-out-the-pin-and-throwing-it-back thing was based on a joke someone told during class last year. Some of you might know the one I'm talking about. It just fits so well, doesn't it?**


	11. Chapter 11

"This is most troubling," Seem murmured. She was sitting in Veger's hospital room, deciphering the scroll. After the stunt he'd pulled, she didn't trust him to stay put unless someone was keeping an eye on him.

Veger, still in bed, was busying himself with the task of getting his locket open. So far, he'd chipped away most of the glue, and now it was just a matter of prying the cover off. The ottsel turned his eyes to her. "What's wrong?"

"This scroll that Daxter found… it details a ritual to bestow upon mere humans the powers of the Precursors," Seem looked up at Veger. "It explains everything. Why the Marauders have fought so vehemently for the artifacts, why they took you and Daxter prisoner… These are the ingredients needed to perform the ritual."

"But… if they needed Daxter and myself… why did they shoot to kill during our escape?"

"Perhaps it was a lapse in judgment on their part. I have not yet translated the ritual itself. But I fear that the ceremony calls for the Precursors' death. We should all be grateful that you and Daxter escaped with your lives."

Veger looked at the locket in his hands as he thought about this disturbing revelation. "How can we put a permanent stop to this?"

"For now, I believe the best course of action is to keep as many artifacts away from the Marauders as we can. Perhaps, without this scroll, they will not be able to perform the ritual."

"Unless they made copies."

Seem nodded. "It is likely. Hopefully a full translation of this scroll will shed some light on a solution to this dilemma." With that, Seem went back to work.

Veger climbed onto the windowsill and opened the shutters. The sky looked clear: no sandstorm in sight. The ottsel glanced over at Seem. She was completely absorbed in her work. She'd never notice if he went for a quick walk to stretch his legs and get some fresh air.

The ottsel dropped from the window onto his bed and grabbed his clothes. He hurriedly got dressed, hoping to make himself as presentable as possible. After all, just because the rest of Spargus' population was uncivilized didn't mean _he_ had to be. Veger stuffed his locket into a compartment on the inside of his vest and climbed back onto the windowsill. Carefully, he lowered himself onto the ground outside his window.

Now that he was free, Veger followed the road to the seashore. As the scent of salt water reached his nose, he sighed. It reminded him of all the summers he spent with his wife at their cabin on the beach, outside of Haven's walls. There, they never had to worry about the pressures of life as a Count, or as a schoolteacher, in his wife's case. That all changed when their son was born, but being a father was worth it.

Those had been happier days, before Praxis betrayed him… before he betrayed Damas. Veger's ears drooped and his head hung with the shame of what he'd done… of what the last thing he ever said to his best friend was…

"_What kind of a leader are you?! How could you have let this happen?! My wife and son are dead because of __you__! How could you betray me like this?!"_

He could never forget the look on Damas' face: it was so full of confusion, of grief and of guilt. Although he was too shocked to speak, his eyes seemed to say it all: _How could you say that to me? I loved them too, and I'd never betray you. You're like a brother to me. _Veger had never spoken to Damas after that. Right now, he'd give anything for a second chance, to make things right between them.

Veger sat on the rocks overlooking the ocean and watched as the sun slowly inched closer and closer to the glittering water. As the blue sky turned orange, he thought back to the last night he ever saw Damas…

_Swords clanged in the palace's throne room as Damas fought to defend himself. The mutiny that Praxis had painstakingly worked on for years was finally reaching its climax. Unknown to Damas, the Krimzon Guard had been completely under Praxis' control for over a decade, and they were not rushing in to help the rightful leader; they were rushing in to detain him._

_Damas' sword flew from his hand and slid across the ground, stopping at Veger's feet. The Count had been watching the battle from the shadows. His rage burned inside him and he wanted nothing more than to see the great warrior die before his very eyes. But that was not to be Damas' fate. Praxis had an even worse death planned for him. He was to be banished to the Wasteland._

_The Baron was giving his villainous monologue now. Veger didn't pay much attention to it, but when he heard his name mentioned, he took that as his cue to reveal himself. He stepped out of the shadows, his eyes fixed on Damas' horrified face. It wasn't that the king was shocked that Veger had actively helped plan this coup, as Praxis had mentioned in his monologue, but it was the precious item in Veger's arms: his son, somehow sound asleep._

"_What are you going to do with him?!" Damas demanded._

"_We're going to kill him," Praxis replied, "in front of the entire city. The people will know that my rule is definite, and that resistance is futile."_

"_No! Please, spare him! He's just a child!" Damas cried. He begged Praxis for mercy, but it fell on deaf ears. The Baron declared that Mar would be executed the next day._

_As the Krimzon Guards took Damas away, the fallen king threw one last desperate look at the Count and the little boy. "Please, Veger…" Damas whispered. "Don't let them…" The doors slammed closed. Veger tightened his grip on the small child and looked down at him. He looked so innocent, so peaceful. Just as __his__ son had moments before…_

"_Praxis," Veger said. "I have a favor to ask of you."_

"_Of course," Praxis replied. "This couldn't have been a success without you pulling a few strings. What is it?"_

"_Let me take the boy," Veger said. "I… want to see how he reacts to my experiments. I'm sure his eco powers would yield some interesting results."_

_Praxis thought for a moment. "Fine. But the second you no longer have a use for him, he dies."_

"_Of course, Baron." With that, Veger took his leave. The Count walked briskly through the palace hallways as the Krimzon Guards celebrated around him. He stepped into the elevator and waited as it descended. The little boy stirred and opened his eyes. Mar looked up at Veger, scared and confused. Why wasn't he still in his bed? What was going on?_

"_It's alright, Mar," Veger said softly. "It will all be okay…"_

_Mar whimpered and clutched Veger's shirt with all his strength. Something was definitely wrong, but if Veger said it was alright, then it was alright. His father had always trusted this man, despite the tension that seemed to be between them. Mar felt safe in his arms. There was no doubt that Veger would take good care of him._

_When the elevator touched down, Veger hurried to his home nearby. Upon entering, his crocadog jumped up from the couch and ran over, panting and wagging his tail._

"_Easy, Lycan, easy," Veger said. He placed Mar down on the couch and the crocadog jumped up and started sniffing the newcomer. The child giggled and stroked the animal. Lycan lied down and rolled over, allowing the boy to scratch his stomach. Veger sighed and hung his coat up on the hooks near the door before sitting down next to the boy._

"_You're going to have to stay here with me for a little while, Mar," Veger told the child. "There's trouble in the city, and it's not safe for you to be in the palace, or out in the streets." The little boy looked up at his new guardian quizzically. "When I'm gone, you'll have to stay hidden in the basement. Lycan can keep you company, and I'll make sure you have plenty to keep you occupied, okay?"_

_Although Mar seemed to understand what Veger was saying, he still seemed confused. "I can't tell you exactly what's going on right now, but when you're ready, I'll explain everything. Okay?" The child nodded his head. "Good. Now, it's time to--"_

_Mar's stomach growled. The child looked up at Veger with big blue eyes and a sheepish grin. The Count sighed. "Fine. We'll eat, __then__ you go to bed." The boy giggled and followed his new guardian into the kitchen._

"'Ey! I been lookin' for ya, ya stupid rodent!"

The gruff voice snapped Veger out of his memory. He looked over his shoulder and glared at its owner: Kleiver.


	12. Chapter 12

"What do you want?" Veger asked bitterly.

"Whadya think? I came ta take ya home."

"Hmph. Then you wasted your time." Veger looked back out to sea. "You left me out in the Wasteland to die. If you honestly think things could return to the way they were, then you're even stupider than I thought you were."

"Why you little… If I hadn't let Jak use me Dune Hopper…"

"He would have taken it anyway!" Veger snapped. "He never would have let you stop him from saving Daxter. And the only reason I'm alive right now is because I was fortunate enough for Daxter to be of great character. Despite everything I've done to his best friend, he risked his life to save mine. And yet _you_ abandoned me!" The ottsel got to his feet and turned to face the Wastelander. "Perhaps if you hadn't fled like a coward, I wouldn't have this hole in my chest!" Veger pointed at the wound for emphasis.

"You'd best shut up, ya lil' runt!" Kleiver growled. "Without me, yer out on the streets!"

"I'll just move in with Seem and the monks," Veger replied hotly. "Or perhaps I'll return to Haven with Jak and Daxter. I refuse to be your 'sidekick' anymore, you filthy ogre!"

That did it. Kleiver punched the ottsel in the stomach, sending him flying into the ocean. Veger struggled to the surface, partially paralyzed from having the wind knocked out of him. In between coughing and spitting out water, he desperately gasped for air. He watched Kleiver's retreating form with contempt.

"Bastard…" Veger pulled himself out of the water and wrung out his shirt. He groaned softly. His shirt was ruined… Well, _more_ ruined. Veger patted the pocket on the inside of his vest and sighed in relief. The locket was still there. A stinging sensation in his chest told him that salt water had gotten into his injury. Seem was going to be pissed.

"If you continue doing this, your wound will never heal!" Seem scolded as she re-bandaged Veger's chest. "Honestly, someone your age should know better!"

Veger rolled his eyes and groaned. He could hardly believe he was receiving _another_ lecture from someone young enough to be his _daughter_! He winced as she tied the bandage off.

"Kleiver was the one who reopened it…" Veger grumbled. "Go yell at him."

"Believe me, I plan to," the monk replied. Seem stood and marched over to the door. She ordered one of her monks to keep an eye on Veger while she ran an errand. Veger carefully lied down on the bed and continued to work on his locket. When he finally got it open, he felt his heart sink. The photograph of his family was destroyed.

Seem may have been angry, but she did not act without thinking. Before going to tell Kleiver off, she found Jak and Daxter and asked that they accompany her. Surely even Kleiver wouldn't be so stupid as to harm a Precursor monk, but should his temper flare, perhaps Jak's presence would quell any desire to act. In the worst case scenario, Jak could kick his ass.

Kleiver was surprised when he opened his door to a pissed off monk, an angry ottsel, and a bored-looking Jak. "Whadya want?"

"You could have very easily killed Veger today," Seem said, her quiet voice tinged with fury.

"So what?"

"You should know the repercussions of such an action…" Seem replied. "Killing a citizen of Spargus… killing a _Precursor_… would not go unpunished."

"Yeah, and you should treat your sidekicks better!" Daxter added.

"Shaddup, rat face," Kleiver growled.

"Daxter is right," Seem said. "By definition, a sidekick is a friend. And you certainly have not treated Veger like a friend."

"Peh. Whuddo I care? 'E's just a mangy, flea-bitten rodent." Kleiver punctuated his sentence by slamming her door shut.

A moment of silence passed before Jak said, with utmost sincerity, "That went better than expected."


	13. Chapter 13

"We are rapidly running out of time."

Seem had called a meeting of her monks, some of Spargus' high-ranking citizens (including Sig, obviously), Jak and Daxter, and Veger. Kleiver, as the owner of the garage, which doubled as the city gates, was one of the aforementioned citizens and as such was in attendance. However, he was busy sulking in the corner.

"I have finished translating the scroll Daxter retrieved from the Marauder base," the monk continued, "and I have learned that what the Marauders are planning is more terrible than we anticipated. They are planning to perform a ritual to give them all the powers of the Precursors!"

Most of the people present gasped in horror. Daxter was speechless and Jak was starting to sweat. Even Kleiver had forgotten about his sulking and gave Seem his undivided attention. Veger clenched and unclenched his hands nervously. If the scroll warranted this kind of a meeting, then the rest couldn't be good.

"There were a few notes written in the margins of the scroll that were particularly disconcerting. One of them confirmed our fears: they know the secret of the Precursors."

"Spargus was supposed to be the only human settlement on the planet to know that the Precursors are really ottsels, and all the citizens have been sworn to secrecy. How could the Marauders have found out?" one of the men in attendance asked.

"That brings us to one of the other disconcerting notes I deciphered. Though it did not give a name, or even a description, it confirmed that there is a traitor among us," Seem continued.

Panic surged through the room. Though no one showed any outward signs of dread, everyone felt it. Everyone waited silently for Seem to continue, hoping for some good news.

"To perform this ritual, they need to construct a ring out of certain artifacts. Once this has been done, they must place the corpse of a Precursor in the center. An incantation is recited, and the Precursor's energy is drained and transferred into those nearest the circle. The energy can only be split into three even portions. If there are any more humans present, they will not get the full benefit. In addition, the Precursor must be freshly killed."

Veger gulped. If they had been willing to kill him and Daxter, then they must have been ready to perform the ritual!

"The ring will be destroyed once the ritual is complete. Therefore, repeat rituals call for more artifacts. As of right now, I believe they are ready to perform the ritual twice. If just one of them gets even a sliver of Precursor power, it could spell doom for us all. We must protect Daxter and Veger at all costs!"

"Or, we could nip this in the bud and kill them right now!" someone yelled. Several others voiced their agreement. Daxter and Veger looked at each other nervously. They knew Jak would protect Daxter with his life, but would he extend that same protection to Veger?

"No way!" Sig said, getting to his feet. Everyone immediately quieted down and turned their gaze from the young monk to him. "Veger and Daxter are both legal citizens of Spargus. And besides, do you think the Precursors would turn a blind eye to the murder of two of their own? There's no doubt that _their_ punishment would exceed anything _I_ could deal out."

Quiet muttering signaled their assent, and Seem once again had the floor. "It's time we went on the offensive. We must get into the Marauders' stronghold and steal the artifacts back."

"A raid? Sweet!"

"No way, stealth is the better option!"

"Stealth is for sissies. I say we go in, guns blazing!"

As everyone argued over the best approach, Seem and Sig tried to calm everyone down. Big arguments led to big fights, which led to big problems. Veger was one of the few people who stayed in his seat amidst the chaos, for fear he'd get stepped on. However, getting stepped on was going to be the least of his worries in a moment.

Across the room, Daxter was sitting on Jak's shoulder as he tried to break up a fight. He happened to turn his head to the right at the exact moment that one of the men at the meeting slipped outside… with a moving sack in his hand. Daxter suddenly noticed that Veger was nowhere to be found and put two and two together.

"Oh, no!" Daxter leaped from Jak's shoulder and squeezed through the crowd. He burst through the doors to the hallway and looked around anxiously. He spotted the man heading down the stairs and ran after him. "Hey!"

The Wastelander glanced over his shoulder before taking off. Daxter slid down the railing and hit the ground running. He had almost reached the elevator when it began its descent. "Damn it!" the ottsel cursed. That was the only way down!

On the ground, the Wastelander left the elevator, feeling smug. Suddenly a small mammal tackled him from behind and latched onto his head.

"You can't get rid of me that easily!" Daxter, who'd hidden on the top of the elevator, said.

Angrily, the Wastelander grabbed Daxter and threw him into a wall with all of his strength. Daxter's head hit the stone and he blacked out immediately.


	14. Chapter 14

When Daxter woke up, his wrists were bound behind his back, he was lying facedown in a cage, and he had a huge headache.

"Are you alright?"

Daxter looked up at his cellmate: Veger. Veger's hands were also bound behind his back, and it looked like he'd put up a struggle. His shirt was reduced to rags and his fur was smudged with dirt and blood.

"I should be asking you that question," Daxter said as he sat up. "Although I don't think either of us will be alright in a minute."

Veger looked over his shoulder sorrowfully. The Marauders were setting up two rings of artifacts, and several of them were reading scrolls. Veger had a sneaking suspicion concerning what was written on them.

"I don't know how we're going to get out of this one," Daxter said, his voice tinged with fear.

"I have an idea," Veger struggled to get across the cage. When he finally made it, he sat back-to-back with Daxter.

"What are you--Ow!" Daxter yelped.

"Sorry," Veger apologized, "I'm trying to undo your binds. It's not easy when I can't see what I'm doing."

"Hurry it up!" Daxter said.

"I'm trying!" Veger replied. "Almost… got it!"

Daxter tossed the ropes aside and rubbed his sore wrists. "Jeez, you think they could have tied it any tighter? I think they cut off the circulation to my hands!"

"Stop your whining and untie me!" Veger snapped. "I think I they're almost done!"

Just as Daxter started, they notcied one of the Marauders motioning in their direction. Thinking quickly, Daxter sat back down, his back to Veger's, and hid his hands behind his back. As they continued talking, Daxter tried to untie Veger.

"Ow! When was the last time you trimmed your claws?" Veger hissed.

"Now you know how I felt," Daxter replied. "Now hold still, I…"

All of a sudden, a Marauder reached in and roughly grabbed Veger's shirt. With a yank, he pulled the ottsel out, causing Daxter to topple over. Thankfully, they failed to notice that he was untied and even left the door open. Daxter rolled onto his stomach, crawled over to the door, and launched himself at the Marauder.

The man dropped Veger in surprise and the other Marauders decided to stop what they were doing to watch the struggle. Veger fought with his loosened bonds and managed to free himself. He immediately made a break for it. "Daxter, let's go!"

Daxter leapt just as two Marauders, who had finally decided to help their comrade, crashed into him. He ran towards the window while Veger headed for the door. However, their progress was stopped by two very unhappy Marauders. Daxter dodged the Marauder's hand and ducked behind some crates. Meanwhile, Veger sank his teeth into his captor's arm, causing the man to scream like a little girl and flail his arms in a desperate attempt to dislodge Veger. Daxter watched on in amusement, but his grin vanished when he saw another Marauder ready his gun.

"Veger!"

Now, most sane people would not aim a gun at their friends, even if they were being attacked by a small animal because, chances are, they would hit their friend. However, as we all know, Marauders are not sane by any stretch of the imagination. Daxter hit the dirt and covered his head as the Marauder began firing indiscriminately, bullets tearing through the hut.

When the gunfire stopped, Daxter peeked out from behind the crates. Three Marauders had been shot dead and four had been wounded. They were bleeding profusely, and one appeared to be unconscious. And nearby, lying motionless on the ground and covered in blood, was…

"No…"

Veger.


	15. Chapter 15

"Veger?" Daxter ventured. It wasn't possible… he couldn't be dead! None of his friends ever really _died_! They were the good guys, for God's sake! Even Vin made a comeback! Veger couldn't be…

Suddenly the older ottsel coughed and started to get up. Daxter was amazed that, despite his wounds, he still had the strength to move. As Daxter left his hiding spot, however, Veger was scooped up by one of the only two Marauders left standing. The man closed his fist around the ottsel's throat, cutting off his air.

"Hang on!" Daxter rushed towards the Marauder, hoping to free Veger, but he was grabbed from behind by the other. Daxter struggled in his grasp, but he was helpless. He watched as Veger desperately tried to loosen the Marauder's grip before his eyes slid closed and his body went limp.

"No… Veger!"

The Marauder tossed the lifeless ottsel into one of the rings as Daxter was shoved into the cage. The two unhurt Marauders dragged one of their still-conscious comrades over to the artifacts before sitting down and beginning the incantation. The artifacts began to glow and a loud screeching noise filled the air as the relics began to vibrate. Suddenly everything went still. And then…

* * *

As Jak and the others rushed through the desert in their dune buggies, Jak could only pray that Daxter was still unhurt. As the Marauder fortress came into view, they saw a bright flash of light and heard the thunderous crackling of energy erupt from one of the huts.

"Oh, no… don't tell me…!" Sig started.

"The ritual… is complete," Seem said gravely.

* * *

Back in the hut, Daxter coughed as smoke entered his lungs. It stung his eyes as he tried to look around, bringing tears. Eventually, the black fog cleared, and he could see clearly. The force had dislodged the cage and sent it flying. The artifacts were now nothing more than piles of ash, and the Marauders had been thrown backwards. He looked at Veger's body. Coated with hot cinders, but it didn't matter; the dead don't feel pain.

The ottsel heard groans and looked over at the Marauders. Dizzily, they were getting to their feet. Daxter gulped. What new powers had they unlocked? Daxter noticed that the lock had been damaged, and pushed against the door. It opened. Daxter slipped out and hid in the shadows. He watched the Marauders fearfully, but soon that fear gave way to confusion. What were they doing? They were just… standing there. Why weren't they trying out their new powers?

Suddenly he heard a violent cough. Daxter gasped and looked in the direction it came from. "Veger…?" Another cough rattled the wounded ottsel's body. "Veger!" Daxter rushed to his side and held him gently. "Veger, you're alive!"

"R-really…? I… _cough_… c-couldn't t-t-tell," Veger said sarcastically.

"Hang in there! We'll be outta here soon!" Daxter promised. The Marauders were completely distracted by their bewilderment and hadn't noticed the ottsels. They still had the chance to escape!

"I… I d-don't… have… have the… st-strength… I…" Veger coughed violently again.

"You've managed not to die for this long," Daxter said. "You can make it!"

"No… I-I…" Veger groaned in pain. "I'm not…"

"Don't give up now!" Daxter said. "You've got to pull through! Jak's already started to not hate you!"

"Daxter…" The ottsel struggled to speak. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. But he had to say what he needed to say before it was too late. "C-can you… do me… one l-last favor…?"

"You're not going to die!" Daxter knew he sounded childish, pleading with a dying man not to pass on, but he didn't care. Maybe if he believed hard enough…

"P-please…!"

"…" Daxter swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't want to admit to himself that Veger's time had come, but it had, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he denied the older ottsel's last request. "A-alright…"

"M-My wife… and s-son… they're b-buried… in Haven… C-can you… b-bury me… with th-them…?"

Daxter bit his lower lip. Why did his last request have to be so goddamn morbid?! "I… I will, I promise."

"Th-thank… you…" Veger coughed again. "Thank you… for ev…everything… Y-you've… been very… very good to me… Daxter… e-even though… I d-don't… deserve… y-your friendship…"

Daxter didn't know what to say. He wished he could think of something funny to say, some smart-ass comment, _something_ to make his friend chuckle one more time, but he couldn't. Why did his wit have to fail him now, of all times?!

"O-one… one more… thing… I-If you r-really… really think that…. Jak… should kn-know, th-then… tell him… I… I trust your… j-judgment…" Veger's eyes slid closed as his labored breathing slowed and eventually stopped. His heart beat one last time before going still. He was dead.


	16. Chapter 16

Daxter blinked back tears as he stared at the corpse. This must have been how Jak felt when Damas died. Of course, his relationship with Veger wasn't even close to a father-son relationship, but having someone you cared about die in your arms wasn't exactly pleasant.

Suddenly the door burst open and a group of men ran in. The Wastelanders had arrived! The Marauders in the hut, unarmed and unprepared for the assault, went down with little struggle. As the Wastelanders promptly began smashing the artifacts (leaving them intact was too risky), Jak walked over to Daxter.

The young man stared down at the ottsels. Daxter looked up at his friend and the two made eye contact. A moment of unspoken communication passed before Jak bent down and placed a hand on Daxter's back. The ottsel sighed and stood, still holding Veger's body. He carefully lifted the corpse and left the hut, Jak in tow. Wordlessly, he climbed into the Sand Shark and sat down.

Daxter looked at Jak, and the warrior climbed into the driver's seat. As he started the car, he yelled to Sig that he was heading back to Spargus. On the drive, Jak kept glancing anxiously at Daxter. _What happened in there?_ he wondered.

"They tried to perform the ritual prematurely," Daxter explained. The silence was deafening for the ottsel. Besides, he knew Jak was curious, just too polite to come out and ask. "Veger was able to stay alive just long enough to get them to waste half of their artifacts." Jak said nothing, so Daxter continued. "He asked me to…" Daxter trailed off.

"Asked you to what?" Jak asked.

Daxter thought for a moment. He still hadn't told Jak the entire story. Well, Veger _had_ given him permission. "The last thing Veger said was that… he trusted my judgment." Jak raised an eyebrow, but waited for Daxter to clarify. "Veger basically told me that… that I could tell you about what happened between him and Praxis and your dad."

Jak's grip on the steering wheel tightened. So… he was finally going to see the method behind Veger's madness.

"Remember what Torn told us about Dead Town?" Daxter asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well, Veger used to live in that section of the city. When the Metal Heads broke through the wall, they went after him and his family…" Daxter looked down at the older ottsel. "He lost his wife and son that night."

"His… his wife and son?" Jak murmured.

"Yeah… it happened the week before his son's third birthday," Daxter continued. He waited for Jak to absorb that information. Veger's kid was still practically a _baby_ when he was killed. When Jak said nothing, Daxter pressed on. "Praxis blamed Damas, who was still ruling the city, for the Krimzon Guard's retreat. Veger didn't find out the truth until I told him."

"And what did he say?"

"He was horrified when I told him," Daxter said. "I don't think he ever forgave himself. Anyway, so, that's it. Praxis was responsible for the deaths of his wife and son, and he tricked Veger into helping overthrow your dad."

"Bastard…" Jak felt his blood boil. To manipulate a tragedy, a _friend's_ tragedy, to aid your own selfish agenda… "Heartless, conniving bastard!" Jak wished he could bring Praxis back to life, just so he could kill the asshole himself!

* * *

When Jak and Daxter finally got back to Haven City, Daxter went straight to Ashelin. She had been a kid during the Dead Town incident, and hadn't found out about what happened to Veger and his family. Hoping to atone for what her father did, she gave Daxter permission to reopen the grave.

Daxter worked alone in the cemetery as he dug. Eventually he felt this shovel strike the coffins. Veger's wife and son had been buried side-by-side, and Daxter placed Veger's casket on top of them. Daxter reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, gold trinket. Veger's locket. It had fallen out during the ride back to Spargus, and Daxter knew that Veger would want to be buried with it. The ottsel opened the casket and placed the locket in Veger's paws. He then closed the casket again and climbed out.

After filling in the hole, he grabbed a hammer and chisel from the toolbox he brought with him. He labored for hours, painstakingly making sure the inscription was flawless. On the tombstone, the names of Veger's wife and son had been inscribed next to each other, with enough room underneath for his. When he finished, it was well past midnight. Daxter stood up and stretched. He looked over the inscription, satisfied with his work.

The ottsel yawned, placed his tools back in the box, and walked down the path, illuminated by the streetlights. When he got to the gate, he looked back at the grave. He wiped a couple tears from his eyes before heading home.

* * *

"What a wreck," Jak commented. Veger had no next of kin and no will, so the city was cleaning out his old apartment. Daxter had to run the Naughty Ottsel, so Jak went instead. Surprisingly, the Count's home wasn't very organized. Well, the last time he'd been in here, the city was a war zone. Probably didn't feel like wasting his time cleaning up. As the Freedom Leaguers disassembled the furniture and moved it outside, Jak went through Veger's personal effects, throwing them in one of three bins: Trash, Recycling, and Thrift Shop.

Jak dug through the drawers at Veger's desk and pulled out his journal. Curious, Jak flipped through it. It was mostly equations and experiments that he'd performed. However, there was something folded into quarters and stuck in between two pages about halfway through. Jak unfolded it; it was a photo of Veger and his father as teenagers. Jak looked at what was written on the pages. It was a personal entry.

_Thursday, August 17__th_

_Damas was imprisoned today. I took Mar home with me, and now he's sound asleep. Lycan is watching over him. He's rather smart, for a crocadog. But I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to make up some bogus results soon, or Praxis will get suspicious._

Jak reread that paragraph several times, confused. What was going on? Jak kept reading.

_Errol told me that he can't wait to "put the brat to death" in front of the entire city. That man is not right in the head. But it worries me; if Praxis finds out the truth, he'll execute __me__ as well. I'd better figure something out tomorrow. I'm too tired to think straight tonight._

Now Jak was really confused. What "truth"?

_Saturday, August 19__th_

_Praxis has been pestering me for "results", so I told him that I need a little more time. However, my "experiments" are going to be derailed very shortly. I overheard two men talking about the resistance. One of them divulged the location of the Underground's headquarters. The entrance is down a dead-end alley. Mar will be safe there until the Shadow, whoever he is, finds him. Lycan will be sure to keep him safe. As much as I hate Damas, I just can't bring myself to harm Mar. He's just like my son was._

Jak dropped the journal in shock and shakily sat down in the chair. "It can't be… He said that…" Jak picked up the book and continued reading.

_Sunday, August 20__th__, 1 a.m._

_No one saw me leave Mar and Lycan near the Underground. Now comes the unpleasant part. If Praxis is to believe that I "lost" him to the Underground, I'll have to trash my apartment. Maybe even shoot myself in the foot or something. There's no doubt that Praxis will be pissed, but maybe I'll escape punishment if he really thinks that the resistance jumped me. I will stick to that story until the day I die. Hopefully, if anyone discovers this entry, I'll be long gone. If not; well, at least I'll be able to see my darling…_ (Tearstains obscured the next few words)_…miss them so much._

Jak turned the page. It was back to science experiments. Jak looked through the journal again, making sure he didn't miss anything, before he closed it. Jak sighed. So… Veger hadn't ruined his life… he'd saved it. What's more, he knew exactly where the Underground was hidden, but he kept quiet. Torn and the others had no idea how lucky they were… and until just now, Jak had no idea how lucky _he_ was.

That evening, Jak headed over to the graveyard, a package in his hands. He walked through the rows to gravestones until he found the one he was looking for. He knelt down and unwrapped the package. It was a biodegradable pot with a bunch of flowers in it. Jak dug a small hole, placed the pot in, then refilled the hole and patted the dirt down. Jak stood up and looked at the grave.

"Rest in peace, Veger…"

**Kat:**** Yeah, so, that's the end. If I've made just one person rethink their opinion of Veger, I've done my job. Now watch the new Jak game go and show Veger as a complete asshole. By the way, this story takes place in between Jak 3 and Jak X. Kind of explains why Veger was MIA and why Kleiver was a bitch. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.**


End file.
